bavarikon4UDescription
The small hippocampus (sea horse), which was found near a sanctuary in the oppidum of Manching is a true rarity. The upper body is depicted in the shape of a small horse, the trunk like a fish with a palmetto-shaped fishtail. The forehead is decorated with a circular eye. The eyes are equally shaped as circles. The hippocampus was only elaborated in detail on the outside and was originally fixed to a wooden object, as can be shown by organic remains and by the oval, flat contact face on the side of the belly as well as by the three iron board locks. It was therefore part of an ensemble, probably connected to cult objects. There are no indications for a planned deposition of this object. It is a Celtic work, influenced by Hellenistic models. In Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquity, hippocampi were companions for water deities, since they were considered symbols of the sea. In addition, they accompanied the dead on their journey to the Underworld.
Author
Archäologische Staatssammlung München